Pascal Paoli, father of the Nation, founded Ile Rousse in 1758 in order to cut off the maritime trade between the occupying Genoese and the port of Calvi, making Ile Rousse one of the most important por in the region. The island of Pietra was finally linked to Ile Rousse and the mainland by a road bridge.

Archeological excavations in 2000 revealed that the island had been inhabited since the Neolithic ages.

The hotel restaurant La Pietra was built in 1961 by SETCO, a state agency seeking to build hotels on remarkable sites. It remains the only building on the island to this day. Acquired in the late 70's by the family Luciani, the hotel has been recently renovated and modernised under the leadership of its Manager Phillippe Janeau.